Democrats Bad, Republicans Good or the Other Way Around

Democrats and Republicans continue to wrangle over scoring rhetorical points about whose legislation does more to create jobs.

The Republican minority issued a press release February 24 which, among other things said that several of the measures in their 22-bill “job creation” package were “rejected” by Democrats, who hold comfortable majorities in both the Senate and the Assembly.

“Earlier today, the Senate Labor Committee rejected (bills) which would have allowed employees and employers the opportunity for greater work schedule flexibility to accommodate diverse family responsibilities, reduce commute time, traffic congestion and pollution, and put an end to frivolous lawsuits that are shutting down and driving businesses out of California,” reads the release from the Senate Republican caucus.

“Also, the Senate Environmental Committee did not support (a bill) which proposed to delay the costly new diesel engine regulations enacted by the California Air Resources Board that have had a burdensome effect on all transportation sectors.”

The Senate Health Committee failed to pass a bill to “permit out of state healthcare plans and insurers to offer their services in California, offering competition and making healthcare more affordable for everyone.”

And, finally, the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee heard but failed to act on a GOP bill to extend a homebuyer tax credit for Californians.

Quoth Senate GOP Leader Dennis Hollingsworth of Murrieta:

“The complete rejection of these job creating measures by the Democrat majority is also the complete rejection of any relief from the high unemployment California’s families are facing. Rather than siding with the working families of our state in bringing sanity to bureaucratic red tape, and ending frivolous lawsuits, Democrats today sided with the public employee unions, the trial lawyers and the radical environmentalists. It’s clear: job creation is a term that is not in the Democrats’ dictionary.”

“On a day when the U.S. Senate came together on a bipartisan jobs package, California’s Democratic leaders are focused on politics instead of creating jobs. It is disappointing that in California, with so many people still struggling to find work, Democrats have fast-tracked their own bills while killing Republican proposals to create jobs.

“The decision to kill Republican and bipartisan proposals that will jumpstart construction projects, extend the homebuyer tax credit and promote green-tech, all of which are surefire ways to create jobs, remind Californians that their leaders too often put partisanship before problem solving.”

The GOP governor’s press release, in turn, sparked a response from Alicia Trost, press secretary of Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, a Sacramento Demcorat, rebutting the governor’s statements, which echoed that of the Senate GOP caucus release. To wit:

“The governor today issued a statement criticizing the Legislature for allegedly “killing” Republican job proposals. In their haste to foment dissension, however, the press release distributed by the Governor’s office misstated the facts, ignored reality, and misled the readers.”

Among other points, Trost notes that the homebuyer’s tax credit was actually “per the rules of the committee, and by virtue of common sense in light of the state’s $20 billion budget deficit” placed on the committee’s suspense file because of its $200 million price tag.

“Here’s the bottom line,” Trost says.

1) “None of the … proposals were killed. All of them live on in the Senate and senators continue to work in a bipartisan manner to resolve outstanding concerns

2) “Last week, the Senate demonstrated tremendous bipartisanship by approving several different job-related measures off the floor. For instance, the Senate put up at least 30 votes on measures moving federal and state bond money out into our communities to create jobs as well as streamlining regulatory actions. These bills likely will be considered by the Assembly this week and next, and then hopefully sent to the Governor for his consideration.”